Arizona State Men's Basketball schedule gives Sun Devils a chance to compete

Arizona State men's basketball aspires to take another jump after their 2023 NCAA Tournament appearance, and their schedule is not exactly murderers' row.

Of Arizona State's 30-game regular season slate, just four games feature preseason AP Top 25 Poll opponents. Those four games are part of their Pac-12 conference slate, as they of course will take on No. 21 USC and arch rival No. 12 Arizona two times apiece.

Their non-conference schedule features just four Power 5 programs, and none are particularly strong basketball programs. They open the season with Mississippi State on Nov. 8, which made the NCAA Tournament last season, but lost in the First Four round.

The Sun Devils will be a part of the Vegas Showdown against BYU on Nov. 23. The Cougars are coming off of a rough 19-15 season. Other Power 5 matchups against TCU and Northwestern to end ASU's non-conference slate could be more challenging, as each of those teams made it to the Round of 32 last season. The TCU matchup also gives the Sun Devils a change to avenge their loss to the Horned Frogs in the NCAA Tournament this past year.

The tilt against TCU comes as part of the third annual U.S. LBM Coast to Coast Challenge on Dec. 16, 2023. The matchup against Northwestern — which is the last of ASU's non-conference schedule — is part of Jerry Colangelo's 2023 Hall of Fame Series in Phoenix on Dec. 20.

Their first Pac-12 matchup comes against Stanford on Dec. 29, and two days later they kick off New Year's celebrations with a New Year's Eve contest against Cal.

The Pac-12 is not expected to provide a gauntlet this year, as just two teams in the conference are ranked in the AP Top 25 to begin the season, and none are ranked in the top 10. The biggest home game of the year for Sun Devils fans will, of course, be when the Arizona Wildcats take their trip up to Tempe for the second and final UA-ASU matchup of the year on Feb. 28. The game in Tucson is just 11 days earlier.

ASU fills out Bobby Hurley's coaching staff

After making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 last year, Arizona State is tasked with supporting the two-year contract extension they gave head coach Bobby Hurley after last season. He was extended through the 2025-26 season. He has made the NCAA Tournament just three times in his eight seasons in Tempe, and never made it further than the Round of 64. Arizona State brought in just the 58th overall recruiting class in the country per 247Sports as they head into this new campaign.

ASU has officially announced the final additions to Hurley's 2023-24 coaching staff, bringing in Yusuf Ali, formerly of Simon Fraser in British Columbia, Canada, as an assistant coach, and Jarryn Skeete, who will oversee player personnel, recruiting and analytics. Also, Nick Irvin (assistant coach) and Mickey Mitchell (director of operations) receiving promotions. "We were able to bring on several tremendous additions to our program," Hurley said at Pac-12 Media Day earlier in the month. "This staff is hungry to prove themselves and they understand the expectations we have here. I am excited to work with everyone."

Arizona State men's basketball 2023-24 schedule

Nov. 8 at Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 11 vs. Texas Southern, 1:30 p.m.

Nov. 16 vs. UMass Lowell, 7 p.m.

Nov. 23 vs. BYU, 9:59 p.m. (Game played in Las Vegas)

Nov. 29 vs. Sam Houston, 7 p.m.

Dec. 3 vs. San Francisco, 1 p.m.

Dec. 6 vs. SMU, 8 p.m.

Dec. 9 at San Diego, 8:30 p.m.

Dec. 16 vs. TCU, 7 p.m. (Game played in Fort Worth, Texas)

Dec. 20 vs. Northwestern, 6:30 p.m. (game played in Phoenix)

Dec. 29 at Stanford, 9 p.m.

Dec. 31 at California, 6 p.m.

Jan. 4 vs. Utah, 9 p.m.

Jan. 6 vs. Colorado, TBD

Jan. 11 at Washington, 9 p.m.

Jan. 17 vs. UCLA, 7 p.m.

Jan. 20 vs. USC, noon

Jan. 25 at Oregon, 7 p.m.

Jan. 27 at Oregon State, 5 p.m.

Feb. 1 vs. Stanford, 7 p.m.

Feb. 3 vs. California, 1 p.m.

Feb. 8 at Colorado, 6 p.m.

Feb. 10 at Utah, 7 p.m.

Feb. 14 vs. Oregon State, 7 p.m.

Feb. 17 at Arizona, 7 p.m.

Feb. 22 vs. Washington, 7 p.m.

Feb. 24 vs. Washington State, TBD

Feb. 28 vs. Arizona, 8 p.m.

Mar. 7 at USC, 9 p.m.

Mar. 9 vs. UCLA, 9 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State Basketball schedule gives Sun Devils a chance in Pac-12